FRamework for integrating Eco-physiological and Eco-toxicological data into ecosystem-based management tools

Understanding the role of biodiversity in ecosystem structure and functioning is crucial for conservation and environmental quality management. Biodiversity is a reflection of the multitude of different characteristics and functions present in a community. In this context, the FREE project set up a flexible, transparent, scientifically sound framework whereby the latest scientific insight from experiments on animals can continuously be included into decision support tools for ecosystem-based management (EBM) This framework is called the AmP database. The database has a freely accessible online web-interface (https://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/deb/deblab/add_my_pet/ ) where the data can be viewed in multiple ways as well as software that is freely available on GitHub that users can sync on their PCs in order to access all of the data. Various routines have been developed that allow users to extract life-history data for any of 1680 species at 2019/01/26 as well as key metabolic parameters. These parameters can be coupled to different ecological models in order to compute growth, development and reproduction of the species of interest as a function of time-varying climatic conditions (food and temperature) as well as simulate effects of toxic chemicals like oil. Over the last three years, the project resulted in increased cooperation between Norwegian institutes and 8 international organizations who apply parameters from AmP, as well as AmP estimation methods and software, to solve open problems in fisheries, ecological economics, conservation biology, population and ecosystem level impacts of toxicants, and mathematical analysis of marine ecosystem models. The FREE consortium trained over 100 biologists, risk assessors and environmental quality managers to use and expand the AmP database where scientific knowledge on relevant biological properties of animals is continuously uploaded. The database is the way that EBM tools can flexibly integrate the latest scientific knowledge while allowing any interested person to check the quality of the data and parameters (transparency). This project applies the framework to study a contemporary EBM problem in Lofoten concerning the impact of petroleum activities on early life stages of cod (using the SYMBIOSES modelling tool). The AmP parameters for cod are used to simulate how cod will grow and develop with and without an exposure to oil. These simulations are currently underway. Moreover, over the course of this FREE project we (1) vastly improved the entire AmP web-interface, (2) expanded AmP with 1000 species including 165 Arctic and Antarctic ones, (3) upgraded the methodology on parameter estimation (4) created new code for the analysis of patterns in life-history and metabolic adaptations (AmPtool) (5) have published 3 papers which discuss these patterns. Our work is in line with the philosophy of open source freely accessible software. The method makes use of two freely available matlab packages: DEBtool (for general application) and AmPtool (for application specific to the AmP website). We collaboratively develop and maintain all code in AmP GitHub repositories. Overall, the FREE project produced 12 original research articles, 2 popular science articles, and coordinated and edited a special issue in the Journal of Sea Research on ecological modelling. To summarize: FREE (i) generated new knowledge on how to simulate environmental risks associated with activities in the petroleum sector (ii) actively transmitted the knowledge on how to use data and parameters in AmP for ecological and ecotoxicological applications to hundreds of students and (iii) strengthened international cooperation that will continue to stimulate the scientific development of EBM for northern Norway. This project leaves a lasting legacy concerning how biology and eco-toxicology of Arctic organisms are integrated (respecting traceability and transparency) into ecosystem assessment tools, which are subject to continuous, change, updating and paradigm shifts.

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This project sets up a flexible, transparent, scientifically sound framework whereby the latest scientific insight from experiments on eco-physiology and -toxicology of Arctic animals can continuously be included into decision support tools for ecosystem-based management (EBM). The project increases cooperation between Norwegian institutes and 8 international organizations who already apply this framework to solve open problems in fisheries, ecological economics, conservation biology, population and ecosystem level impacts of toxicants, and mathematical analysis of marine ecosystem models. The consortium will train experimental biologists, risk assessors and environmental quality managers to use and expand, with many Arctic species, the free public database where scientific knowledge on relevant biological properties of animals is continuously uploaded and curated. The database is the way that environmental assessment tools can flexibly integrate the latest scientific knowledge while allowing any interested person to check the quality of the data and parameters (transparency). This project moves beyond proofs of concept and applies the framework to study a contemporary EBM problem in Lofoten concerning the impact of petroleum activities on juvenile haddock and cod. Thus, this project will (i) generate new knowledge on how to simulate environmental risks associated with activities in the petroleum sector (ii) actively transmit the knowledge and (iii) strengthen international cooperation that will stimulate the scientific development of EBM for northern Norway. This project will leave a lasting legacy concerning how biology and eco-toxicology of Arctic organisms are integrated (respecting traceability and transparency) into ecosystem assessment tools, which are subject to continuous, change, updating and paradigm shifts.